Fluid-gage.



I PATENTED JULY 11, 1905. M. MARTIN.

FLUID GAGE.

APPLICATION FILED NQV. 28,1904.

1147/11 111/111111111!- .l 1IllI111/11l 1/1! 1111 UNITED STATES Patented July 11, 1905.

PATENT OFFICE.

. MORRIS MARTIN, OF MALDEN, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO GEORGE W. GREGORY, TRUSTEE, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

FLUID-GAGE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 794,679, dated July 11, 1905.

Application filed November 28, 1904. Serial No. 234,483.

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, MORRIS MARTIN, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Malden, in the county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts,l1ave invented an Improvement in Fluid-Gages,of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like characters on the drawings representing like parts.

This invention has for its object the production of a novel .gage for indicating the quantity of fiuid-as gasolene, oil, or water in a tank wherein the fluid is not usually to be subjected to pressure.

The novel gage to be herein described and claimed comprises a head open at its center for filling and having a depending tube provided with a rock-shaft carrying a magnet, a compass-box provided with a magnetic needle, the bottom of the compass-box when in its operative position closing the filling-opening of the head, and a float inside said tube coacting with and turning said rock-shaft and magnet, the latter rotating the magnetic needle in unison with it.

I have provided the head with a telltale which is moved by the magnet as the tank is being filled, the magnetic needle at such times being removed from above the filling-opening, the compass-box then occupying its inoperative position, said telltale serving temporarily to take the place of the magnetic needle to tell when the tank is full, the telltale being carried around with the magnet.

Figure 1 of the drawings is a sectional view of part of a tank with my novel gage attached thereto, the dotted lines showing the compass-box in its inoperative position. Fig. 2 is a top view of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the top of the head with the compass-box removed. Fig. 4 shows the filling-tube that will be inserted in the filling-opening of the head when the tank is to be filled. Fig. 5 is asection below theline as, Fig. 1. Fig. 6shows a plug, and Fig. 7 one of the ears of the head. Fig. 8 is a section looking up from the line y to show the rod 0.

Referring to the drawings, A represents part of a tank of usual construction, the tank being provided with a curb a, that may be maintained in position by means of a ring-nut a. The gage comprises a head B, having a central filling-opening 6, preferably threaded at its interior, and the head is further threaded at b to receive the upper threaded end of a tube 0, and the head has threads 6 by which the head may be connected with the curb. The head is represented as provided with a circular groove 5 surrounding the fillingopening, and the upper side of the head is pro vided with a raceway 6 in which is mounted a steel ball 6, herein designated as the telltale, and the bottom of the raceway is provided with a series of .vent-holes I), that lead into the groove 6 said vent-holes permitting the air in the tank to flow outwardly therefrom as the oil is being filled into the tank through the filling-tube 6 Fig. 4:, which when the tank is being filled will be screwed into the threaded part of the filling-opening.

The tube O is closed at its lower end by a cap or step 0, and near its upper end the tube is provided with a cross-bar 0. (See Figs. 1 and 3.) The cap and bar 0 and 0' constitute bearings for a rock-shaft 0 represented as crank-shaped, the lower end 0 of said crankshaft being guided in the plate 0, the upper end 0 thereof being extended through a hole in the bar a, the end of the shaft above said bar having connected therewith by a screw 2 a collar 3, and above the collar is mounted, so as to turn with the shaft, a permanent magnet D, shown as of U shape, the magnet being adjustably fixed relatively to the collar and shaft to rotate therewith by a screw 4, the loosening of which permits the adjustment of the magnet with relation to the shaft to insure the correct action of the magnet, as will be described.

The tube is shown as slotted at 0 the slot being spirally arranged. Inside the tube is a float E, composed of two thin metallic shells soldered together and provided with a pin 6, extended therethrough from one to its opposite side, one end of the pin being extended into the spiral slot 0 the pin between the float and its end inside the tube having a hole (see Fig. 5) to embrace loosely the shaft 0 'The head is provided (see Fig. 3) with two ears 5, constituting part of a hinge, the other part of the hinge being an ear projecting from the compass-box F, the ear of the compassbox and of the head being united by a pintle 6. The compass-box has a pin 16, on which is mounted a magnetic needle 0, that is kept from leaving the pin by a glass 0', held in place by a wire ring A packing 7, interposed between the under side of the glass and the shoulder in the compass-box sustaining the glass, prevents water or moisture enter ing the compassbox.

The compass-box has means to secure the box in its operative position, including a catch f and a pin f. WVhen it is desired to refill a tank, the compass-box may be turned upwardly into its inoperative position, as shown by dotted lines, Fig. 1, and after screwing the filling-tube into the filling-opening b the gasolene or other fluid may be poured into the filling-tube through the filling-opening, entering the upper end of the float-guiding tube, which has one or more holes 20. If the tank is so exhausted that thefloat is in the bottom of the tube, the float will commence to rise, the pin 6 in the slot 0 will turn the float, causing it to turn the crank-shaft and rotate the magnet; but as the compass-box is turned or removed from its operative position and the magnet is not exposed the extent to which the tank is filled would not be indicated, and consequently I provide the raceway 7) with a telltale or piece of metal, as a ball, which is moved in unison with the magnet in the raceway. The top of the head will be marked 2i? i and be provided with a letter, as F, to designate full, and by following the telltale with the eye it will act temporarily to take the place of the magnetic needle to show the person filling the tank when to stop. The tank having been supplied with gasolene, the compass-box will be put in its operative position, as shown by full lines, Fig. 1, and the bottom of said box will close the filling-hole, the catch holding the compass-box in its operative position. As soon as the compass-box is turned into its operative position the mag neticneedleimmediately alines itself with the magnet, the south pole of the needle turning into position to be held by the north pole of the magnet.

If it should be desired to employ the gage so far described in a tank where the fluid is maintained under pressure, I may in such event insert a screw-plug 22 (see Fig. 6) in the threaded filling-opening after filling the tank. This plug has a thin flange wide enough to overlap the raceway, and when using this plug the pintle 6, connecting the compassbox with the head, will be drawn and inserted through the upper holes 20 of the ears 5 (see Fig. 7) rather than in the lower holes 21, as shown in the drawings.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a fluid-gage, a head having a filling opening, a depending tube, a rock-shaft therein provided with a permanent magnet, a float to turn said rock-sh aft and magnet, a compassbox sustained at the upper end of said head and closing said filling-opening, and a n1agnetic needle mounted in said compass-box.

2. In a fluid-gage, a head having a fillingopening, a depending tube, a rock-shaft therein provided with a permanent magnet, a float to turn said rock-shaft and magnet, a compassbox, hinged to said head and provided with a magnetic needle, said com pass-box when in its operative position closing said filling-opening.

3. In a fluid-gage, a head having a lillingopening, a depending tube, a rock-shaft therein provided with a permanent magnet, a float to turn said rock-shaft and magnet, a compassbox hinged to said head and provided with a magnetic needle, said compass-box when in its operative position closing said filling-opening, and means to lock the compass-box in its operative position.

I. In a fluid-gage, a head having a filling opening, and provided with air-vents outside said opening, a depending tube, a rock-shaft therein provided with a permanent magnet, a float to turn said rock-shaft and magnet, a compass-box sustained at the upper end of said head and closing said filling-opening, and a magnetic needle mounted in said compass box.

5. In a fluid-gage, a head having a central filling-opening provided with screw-threads to receir e a filling-tube, a depending tube, a rock-shaft therein provided with a permanent magnet, a float to turn said rock-shaft and magnet, a compass-box sustained at the upper end of said head and closing said filling-opening, and a magnetic needle mounted in said compass-box.

6. In a fluid-gage, a head having a fillingopening and a surrounding raceway, a telltale mounted loosely in said raceway, a depending tube, a rock-shaft therein provided with a permanent magnet, a float in said tube to turn said shaft and magnet, the latter moving the telltale in said raceway as the magnet is turn ed through the movement of said float.

7. In a fluid-gage, a head having a fillingopening, a depending slotted tube, a crankshaft sustained loosely in said tube, a permanent magnet carried by said crank-shaft, a float in said tube provided with a pin em bracing said shaft loosely and entering the slot of said tube, said float rotating said crank-shaft and magnet as the float is moved by variation of level of fluid in said tank.

8. In a fluid-gage, a head, a depending slot ted tube, a crank-shaft sustained therein, the central part of said shaft being located near the inner wall of said tube, a float composed of two hollow cups united at their open ends air and fluid tight, and a pin extended from one side of said float embracing said shaft, the end of the pin entering the slot of the tube and turning said shaft in one or the other direction as the float rises or falls.

9. In a fluid-gage, a head having a centrallylocated hollow boss constituting a filling-opening, a depending tube, a shaft in said tube, said shaft having its journals within the circle bounding said filling-opening, a float for turning said shaft, a U-shaped magnet carried at the upper end of said shaft.

10. In a fluid-gage, a head provided with a vent-opening and a centrally-located hollow boss constituting a filling-opening,-a depend MORRIS MARTIN.

Witnesses:

GEO. W. GREGORY, LOUIS 0. SMITH. 

